Search for invisible Higgs-boson decays in events with vector-boson fusion signatures using 139 $\text{fb}^{-1}$ of proton-proton data recorded by the ATLAS experiment

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A direct search for Higgs bosons produced via vector-boson fusion and subsequently decaying into invisible particles is reported.

• The analysis uses 139 $\text{fb}^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$=13 $\text{TeV}$ recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC.
• The observed numbers of events are found to be in agreement with the background expectation from Standard Model processes.
• For a scalar Higgs boson with a mass of 125 $\text{GeV}$ and a Standard Model production cross section, an observed upper limit of $0.145$ is placed on the branching fraction of its decay into invisible particles at 95% confidence level, with an expected limit of $0.103$.